Orphans Beloved: Quantum Leap
by regertz
Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved bits in my Buffyverse stories, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.


Orphans Beloved: "Quantum Leap…"

Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved bits in my Buffyverse stories, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later. I do plan at least one longer tale, "Nessun Dorma" but that's just getting sketched now.

Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended.

Twenty years after the arrest of Aldous Leekie, Siobhan Sadler Leekie, Rachel Duncan, and other directors of the Dyad Institute and the Neolution movement and the forced closure of Project LEDA following exposure.

"Auntie Sarah? Thanks so much for coming…" Gemma Hendrix. Leading her into the Hendrix home, to the kitchen…

"Glad to, sweetie. How are you? How's the kids?" a late-forties Sarah, still dressing in her own style when off duty from her police work, following. "Is Oscar here?"

"They're home with Michael…Oz is with Dad…" Gemma, rather downcast, moving to a counter… "How's about… "Coffee?"

"Sure…" kindly grin, taking seat at kitchen table.

"I am glad you came…" Gemma, quietly pouring to fill two mugs. "I think this is it…" she sighed. "The cancer's taking him fast now."

"I'm sorry, kiddo…" Sarah eyed her, accepting the mug set down. "I know how much ole Donnie means to you."

"He's still working on that second book, you know…About those bastards…" Gemma sat, staring at the far wall. "Oz has promised to finish it…I'll help."

"Good…The story needs to keep being repeated, kid." Sarah smiled. "There's always some little bastard who'd love to try again."

"He's leaving all the proceeds, except a little for our kids, from the first and this one, to the fund for the victims…" Gemma noted.

"That's good…Your mom would want that."

Gemma burst into tears…Sarah hurriedly rising… "Kiddo…Kiddo…Sorry…" she patted the young woman. "I didn't mean to bring up Mum that way…"

"It's all right…" Gemma insisted, brushing tears. "It's just hard…Dad's missed her so all these years. And what those…Nazis…Did to her…"

"They've paid and will keep on paying…We'll all see to that." Sarah, calmly…Stroking the younger woman's hair…Hugging her.

"You should go see Dad…He'll be so glad you came…" Gemma, smiling through tears. "You've always been so close."

"Yeah." Sarah nodded. "We're tight." She smiled calmly. "I'll go have a chat and cup with him now, if that's ok with you."

"Please…" Gemma nodded, tight smile, tears. "He loves to smell the stuff even if he can't drink it now." Wan smile.

"You'll be around? I'd like to catch up…See pics of your little army…" Sarah grinned, releasing and rising from the girl, moving to take her mug.

"And I want some stories from the files of Detective Sarah Manning…" Gemma smiled. "How's Uncle Art, by the way?"

"Fiddle fit and crabby as ever…" Sarah beamed. "I'm trying to get him to take retirement and do some travelin' but it's a tough sell."

"Can't see either of you touristin' retirees…" Gemma grinned.

"Part-time…Part-time doin' our own investigatin' agency…" Sarah nodded. "He'll come round in time when I show him it's a way to keep workin' when they kick us off the force. I'll be back in a few…"

She turned to head out into the living room…Her smile hardening as she went out…

"Thanks again…" Gemma's call reached her, she putting up a hand to wave as she moved to the stairs.

"Yeah…My good ole brother-in-law…" she noted to herself grimly.

Hendrix bedroom…

An early fiftiesish Donnie in bed, lying prone, oxygen mask and system at head of the bed, medications on bedside table…Oscar, a young, slimly handsome man now, in suit, seated next to him, rose as Sarah entered the bedroom…

"Hey…" she waved.

"Aunt Sa…" he smiled, coming to her, hugging…

"Good to see you, Oz…" she stood back… "Look at you…The lawyer and writer…Wouldn't your mum be proud of you…" grin.

"She'd tell me to straighten my tie and keep my shoulders up." Oz grinned. "But, I hope she'd believe I'd been of help to Dad to fighting for her memory."

"Uh-huh…Yeah…That's what she'd want." Sarah nodded, with light smile. Glancing to the bed, where Donnie had opened eyes and was staring at her…

"Ally…" he gasped… "Ally, Ally…"

"No, Dad…No…" Oz hurried to him as Sarah watched quietly. "This is Sarah…Your sister-in-law…She's come to see you, Dad." Taking, patting his arm.

"Sarah…?" Donnie gasped out, staring…Raising head.

"Hey…" she waved briefly. "How're you doin' kid?" quick smile, careful stare.

"Sarah?" more calmly now…

"Dad? Do you need anything?" Oz eyed him.

"No…I'm ok…Sorry. Sarah?"

"I'm here, Don." She nodded. "Just dropped by to say hi."

"Oscar? Can we have a minute?" Donnie eyed his son, Oz' concerned eye on him a moment.

"It'll be fine, kid. Give us a mo…" Sarah smiled at him. Oz nodding, rising. "I'll be in the kitchen with Gemma, back in a bit, Dad. Call us if you need anything." He eyed Sarah who nodded and moved to the door.

Donnie offered a weak smile, raising hand feebly.

"Ok, I'll be back, Dad." He smiled. "Have a nice time with Sa…"

She came to the bed as Oz closed the door.

"Donnie." She eyed him quietly, taking the chair Oz had left.

"Sarah?"

"Yeah, me. No ghosts, Don. How are you?"

"It's all good…" he whispered, faint chuckle at end surprising her. "Time for me to settle up…"

"Yeah." Sarah, quietly.

"Thanks…You came…"

"For Kira's sake and Ally's…" she noted, calmly.

"Oz will finish the other book…" he eyed her.

"Good…" she nodded. Long pause as he eyed her… "I'm here…What did you want, Donnie?"

"You…Have to believe…" he began.

"Enough…" she shook her head. "I've kept my word, we all have, my mouth's been shut for the kids' sake. Don't ask for more, Donald. Not even now. I owe you for Kira and for saving me from Helena and good ole Leekie but I don't owe you forgiveness. And I don't forget my sister…Any of them…"

"I loved her…You have to believe that." He gasped.

"That's for Allison to decide, Donnie. You'll see her soon enough if she's willin'. It's of no import what I believe."

"Please…"

"Fine…" she shrugged. "You adored her and only handed her over to Dyad to have her brain pumped full of drugs and dissected out of love." Grim stare. "Do you keep a bit of it handy as a memento?"

"I didn't know…Ally…"

"Ally's dead, Donald. Dyad murdered her with your bleedin' help twenty years ago…" she replied calmly. "Murdered her and cut up her poor body like a med school corpse with all the pimple-faced kids in anatomy class makin' jokes…" her eyes, filled with angry tears… "You can't hide from what you did…No books you write exposing the Leekies and Dyad's backers…Not even risking your life for Kira and me and helping us stop them, even puttin' your kids' lives on the line makes up for what you did. At least in my book…But the only person you should be talkin' to is lying in a box on that shelf…" she pointed to the gilded box on the shelf. "Ashes…The woman you betrayed…My sister, you son of a bitch…Who loved you and believed in you…You put her in the car and sent her off…Did ole Leekie, that bastard, give you a bonus that time?!" she raged. "What, you want me weepin' for you? For you, you…" she calmed.

"I loved her…She wouldn't even have looked at me except I…" he murmured.

"God piss on the day she saw you…" Sarah, grimly. "You got what you wanted…Everything you wanted…She loved you, bastard."

"She never loved me, in school…I was just the best deal she came across, never gave her trouble…She would have left me in a second but for the kids…The job and the house… "

"I'm done here…" she rose, suddenly, furious… "Rot in hell, Donnie…That's my good-bye, bro…"

"I didn't want her to go…She went…I tried to stop her. She didn't believe me. I saved you for her." He eyed her bitter, furious face… "You think I gave a damn about you and Kira? I did it for her…" he whispered.

"You wouldn't let me kill Leekie…" he accused. She eyed him.

"She trusted you. She loved you."

"I tried to make her happy…I wanted to give her every-, any- thing she wanted…I didn't know what the thing was, what Leekie was up to…" gasping…Choking sound…

"I would've killed him…" he groaned. "You said… 'Don't'…I loved her…I loved her…"

"Too late for that now, Donnie…" she noted grimly. "There she is, up there…Ask her to forgive you, not me."

He eyed her. "Who asked you to forgive me?" stare. "You're Sarah, you're not her…Ally. Ally, you know." He twisted.

She sighed. Moved to the bed. "You want something? Should I get Oz and Gemma?"

"I've loved you since the day I saw you…" he said, staring. "If I could have saved you…" he closed his eyes.

"I told you…I'm not…Donnie?" she eyed the still figure.

"Hello, brother…" cocked head, smile…Light accent…

He stared at the girl…Ally? Sarah…In a habit? A nun's thing?

He looked about…The room gone…He stood outside the house…Stood?...

"You take moment…" pleasant tone.

"How can I…? I'm dreaming? Sarah?"

"Not dreaming. You just croak." Grin. "I the crazy one…Helena…She pulled at her wimple until a few stray blonde hairs were visible. "Sister…Officially as well as family…"

"The one Sarah killed…The killer?" he stared.

"Emotional trouble." She sighed. "And they brainwash, kinda. Doesn't bother you to be dead?"

"I've been expecting it." Donnie shrugged. "But this must be a dream…"

"No." Helena shook her head. "You are dead as doornail, brother…Brother-in-law, sorry." She smiled.

"You…Why are you here? I didn't even know you." He eyed her. "We met just that one time...Before Sarah..."

She shrugged… "Who knows?…We are much alike…We both make big mistakes, thought we were doing right."

"Are you saying I'm imagining you?"

"Could be…" she shrugged again. "You die, have last dream before all ends…Or I be here for real. The question is, why?"

"Why?" he eyed her. "Fine, I'll bite…Why?"

She grinned. "Because." Smile at his annoyed look. "Kidding…You say to sister…Sarah…You would save other sister, wife?"

"It was twenty years ago she died…"

"And today you did…Not my question, little brother."

"I killed her…"

"Know the feeling…" grin… "Then easy for you, right? Don't kill, she doesn't die."

"She's dead…Helena…"

"Yes. You want chance to not kill her?"

He stared at her gentle smile…She patted his arm. "Come, we walk…We talk…Have lunch. I explain." She took his arm in hers. "You have nice girl and boy…I watch them with you…Very sweet." She noted. Leading him along.

"You like it here?" Helena in her habit smiled at Donnie who'd realized after seeing himself in a doorway mirror that he was now back to his appearance of about twenty years earlier. No trace of the cancer that had killed him in his fifties, today in point of fact. He looked about the restaurant, a quiet little place…

"We have to get our food when you choose, staff can't take our order." Helena noted.

"Naturally…" he nodded.

"I like pastrami on bagel…You?" she asked.

"Sure…" he stared.

"Be back…Stay, brother." She insisted, turning. "Cheesecake?" she paused a moment. "Very good here."

"Yeah…" he stared as she got up, walked through counters and returned shortly, setting down plates.

"They don't notice?" he asked her.

"It's after closing…No one but us here." She noted, waving her arms to indicate the empty room.

"I pack things back up…They won't notice." She smiled. "Eat. You haven't in long time, right?"

"Not for a couple of weeks…" he nodded. "And only liquids and this awful protein thing for months before."

"Then, enjoy." She turned to her plate, reaching for mustard in a rack on the table.

He eyed the sandwich on plate before him. Hmmn…

"That's good." He noted, chewing…

"I like this place." Helena nodded, swinging feet off the floor. "Oh. We should say prayers. I'm back to being nun again. Do you mind? Say grace?"

"Uh…Sure, why not?" he shrugged.

She said a few words in a language totally unfamiliar to him…

"Was that Ukrainian?" he asked,staring.

"Yes. Pretty, no?" she beamed. "Sarah tell you I raised in Ukraine, right?"

"She said your birth mother sent you there, to the Church."

"Yes. Wish she might have picked church in other country." Helena, mischievous smile… "Much easier."

"You killed your birth mother, Sarah said." Donnie eyed her.

"Yes…" quiet tone.

"Emotional problem, like I said." She noted a moment later. "Mother has forgiven me." Wan smile. "And I, her."

"That's good." He noted, a hair nervous.

Always possible he might still be at Dyad, in some matrix-like experiment thing…Leekie and his mad cloned daughter of sorts, Rachel, were crazy enough to pull that.

Hmmn…

"Computer? End program?" he tried…

No avail…

Helena eyeing him…

Hmmn…Strange little brother…

Still, job to do…And this one rather a good choice for her, all things considered…Family and similar circumstances and all that.

Not to mention both in sister Sarah's black book…Connection there, too.

"Pardon?" she asked.

"Just testing…" Donnie sighed. "So, thanks for the off-hours lunch but you said something about not killing Ally? I didn't by the way, just to be clear…I mean, physically…Ummn…"

"You mean with gun or knife, like me?" she eyed him.

"I don't deny I caused her death." He returned her look. "I'm not tryin' to dodge that."

"Good. Well, you want chance or no?"

"Are you trying to deceive me? Is this Hell or something and you're punishing me with this?"

She pondered. "Good point. No. I offer fair chance. Up to you, but I think you would like to try, right?"

"Why?" he stared. "We don't know each other…Why would you want to give me this chance?"

"Family, Donnie." She smiled. "And I feel for you…I have been in same boat, in way. And I think, all consider, Allison want to know. So, you want to try? No strings…No contract to sell soul, that sort of thing."

"How?" he eyed her.

She returned his stare. "Are you ready to give up everything for her? Kids, home, all?"

"She wouldn't want to lose the kids…I…"

"She won't…Fate bring them to her in time…But you would. That is price, little brother. You see idea?"

"I give up everything…Ally lives?" he looked at the smiling nun.

"Not that easy. You must try…You give up everything to try. No promises."

"Is this for real? I'd really have a chance?" he stared. "Me? From you?"

"You get chance." She grinned… " 'A chance and hope of my procuring, Ebenezer…' I love Dickens…" smile.

"Well, brother?" she eyed him.

"Yes." He nodded.

2003…

"So…We're going to a high school graduation?" the voice of Rachel Duncan, at 17, little less curt and firm than at 27…Annoyed tone as well…

"That's it." A younger Aldous Leekie, seated beside her in the cab they rode in, nodded. "But it's not just any high school graduation."

"Father…" Rachel eyed Leekie… "What possible benefit you do hope to derive by attending one of our clueless subjects' graduation?"

"We've finally found the fellow who should be the perfect monitor for this one…She's been a bit of trouble but I'm convinced this fellow will stick." He eyed Rachel, whose frown…Hmmn, jealous is my girl,eh?...Had moved on to a pondering…

"Allison?" Rachel, finally, shrewd look.

"The very same…I'm pleased to see you're paying attention to my reports, sweetheart."

"And who is your remarkable find to deal with that one? Did you find some out-of-work young actor to make love to her? Or play a long-lost uncle or cousin? I pity the fellow dealing with our anal-retentive Allison."

"Not exactly, though you are very close…Good girl." He beamed. "Anyway we have a good candidate and I want you to be familiar…" he paused at a sudden lurch of the cab, the middle-aged cabbie groaning.

"Gotta pull over, folks…I'm not well…" the cabbie gasped.

Rachel eyed Leekie… "We're in a hurry, sir…" she frowned…Whoa! She gasped and grabbed at Leekie as the cab went up to and on the sidewalk, stopping suddenly.

"Friend?" Leekie called to the stricken cabbie who was groaning in his seat, throwing open his door…

"Got to…" the cabbie wrenched his seat belt free and stumbled out of the cab on to the street…And collapsed.

"Hang on, dear…" Leekie to a frowning Rachel, getting out on the driver's side…

Hmmn…He went to the cabbie, now motionless on the sidewalk…

"Heart attack?" Rachel, from the window, eyeing the body…

"Seems likely…" Leekie nodded…Pulling out a older style cell phone…Dialing.

"Please tell me you're not going to try and do CPR on this one…?" she frowned.

"911? Yes…Hi. My name is Leekie, Aldous Leekie…I was in a cab on Sammett Ave crossing Twelfth and my driver collapsed…I think of a heart attack. No, sorry, no medical training and no one I can see to help…Could you send an ambulance? Thanks. Yes, Leekie…Dyad Institute, 4200 Williamson Drive…Yes, the science place. No, no CPR training. Right, thanks. I'll see if there's anyone around…Right." He closed the phone.

"Father? If we're to reach the place…?" Rachel called.

"Yes, I suppose so…Nothing more we can do here…" Leekie nodded, opening the cab door for her…

They headed off as Donnie sat up…Looking round.

"Ok…" he stared around.

Two people walking off down the sidewalk…One, a tall man, somehow vaguely familiar…The other…

Jesus…Donnie breathed.

No…Not…

Rachel Duncan, not Ally…I may only have met her twice but I'd know that stiff walk anywhere. Though, somehow.

Hmmn…He frowned…What the hell is that bitch doing here? And dressed like a schoolkid…And…

Yep…Leekie, a bit hard to distinguish but definitely Leekie…With slightly more hair…

What the…He got up, and was startled, staring at the image in the driver's side side mirror. A middle-aged, heavy set Hispanic man with hard brown eyes and a bit of beard.

"What?" he addressed the image…

Still…He glanced after the rapidly moving Leekie and Rachel…Wherever their going is bound to be involved with…

Whatever…

He rose and started after the two…

Hmmn…He noted the sounds of approaching emergency vehicles…Watching as one pulled up to the cab on sidewalk.

Just keep moving, don't say a word, keep after those two…He thought.

Wait…Helena said I'd have a chance to save Ally…But what is…? He paused by a newsstand near where Rachel and Leekie were seeking a replacement cab without success and eyeing the arriving emergency vehicles, now three in number…The emergency personnel now emerging, looking round the cab.

Rise and walk, Lazarus…He thought, keeping close to the stand…Hmmn…May 23rd, 2003.

He blinked.

2003?

And wait…He looked round…I know this street…We're just four blocks from our high school.

"High school?" he pondered. "Why would I be…?"

Hmmn…He peered at the date on the paper…

Graduation Day…

The week I met Leekie and he made his offer, after Ally and I broke up…

And today…I patched it up and…

Well…I wanted a chance…She gave me one, he realized ruefully.

And she did say I'd have to lose everything…Job, house, kids…Ally…

He looked round. "Hey, pal…You got the time?" he addressed the newsstand owner…

"Ten…" the owner replied…

"Ten…Are we on Sammett? Near the high school?" he asked.

The owner offered a shrugging yes and he hurried off…

Ok…I'm about an hour early and five blocks from the school…He looked back where Leekie and Rachel still waited for a called cab. Keeping close to buildings in case they looked his way…

Phew…Lucky they'd never consider walking there…

Rachel looking up and down the street now…A somewhat anxious look on her face…

"Aldous…" she eyed Leekie as he stepped back from the road, having failed to catch a passing cab…

"Sweetheart?..." he eyed her.

"That cabbie isn't back there…" she indicated the puzzled crowd round the cab on sidewalk. "Look…He's gone."

"Well, well…" Leekie nodded… "A miracle indeed."

Auditorium…Students in mortarboard and gown milling about, awaiting orders to form up for diploma dispersal…

A teenaged Allison stood near the temporary wall at the back, put up to block view of gym equipment and locker area…Nervously eyeing the frowning woman at her side.

"You need to brush your hair, Allison…Did you iron that robe last night as I told you?"

"Yes, Mom…Yes…" she nodded, hurriedly.

"It doesn't look ironed…And you'd better let me brush your hair…Come here…" Imperious command…Which Allison meekly obeyed…

"Hey, Ally…" young Donnie Hendrix had come over.

"Donald…We're busy." The mother, currently fussing with brush at Allison's hair, glared at the somewhat awkward Donald who halted.

"What is it, Donnie?" Allison, rather eager to have an excuse to dodge Mother's attentions…

Even if not from the most desired source…

"Not now!..." glare from her mother… "You can talk to Donald later…We're busy now, Donald." Insistent tone.

"Oh…Sure…" Donnie nodded… "I'll just wait a minute till you're set…I wanted to talk to you." He offered a pleasant nod, headed over to a group of friends…Periodically glancing her way.

"What does that loser Hendrix want?" frown. "Allison? It's time you told that boy you're done with him…You're going to University and you won't have time for dating. Especially local boys…"

"He just wants to talk, Mom. Probably just to say bye or sign my book." She noted. "And there's no need to be mean to him…He's not a loser…"

"You can do better, Allison. It's all very well to have a little fun with a boy like that in high school but you're going away and that's that."

"Yes, Mom." She sighed…Glance Donnieward…Catching his look.

Hmmn…Nice of him to want to make amends, if that's so…After I caught him speaking to Ginny after we broke up. Without a decent interval…

Took him long enough…

Well, as Mother said…I'm off soon enough…No point in having him hangin' round all summer.

She peered again…Still waiting there…Staring her way…

Well, he's devoted enough…When not chasing someone else…

"Allison, come on…" her mother insisted. "We should go say hello to Mrs. Connors…"

Ok…There it is…Donnie eyed the old alma mater…

Now…What to do as to getting inside…?

Well, high school graduation day…Parents Welcome.

And I qualify as both student and a parent…

He headed for the main entrance…

"Ok, sweetheart…" Leekie smiled, holding newly acquired cab door open for Rachel…

"Rachel?" he looked round…Not a sign.

"Rachel?!..." he called.

She couldn't have…Walked? He pondered…

Nah…Just in the store or something…He asked the driver to wait, just a bit and headed inside…

"Rachel?" he looked around the small convenience store… "Excuse me?" he addressed the clerk… "Did you happen to see a young woman, yea high, blonde hair?"

The clerk shrugged…

"Thanks." Leekie, pleasantly. "I'll look for her outside…" he turned and hurrying out, pulled his cell, dialing...

"Leekie here…We may have a situation. Two of our subjects are threatened. Tomas' group may be active here. Get me some support in immediately but use undercover personnel. Have this area swept for any signs of Tomas or his people, particularly Margaret Chen. Hurry!"

"Allison…I think it's time you made it clear to that Hendrix boy…" her mother began…

Allison, dutifully following, catching young Donnie's anxious look…He hurrying after them…

Even as older Donnie, in cabdriver form, entered the auditorium.

Wow…This sure brings back the…

Ally…He stared…

Ally…

Ok…He told himself…Follow her, one shot… "Allison, you have to get away from Donald Hendrix…You have to get out of this city, this country, for good. Never come back, tell nobody where you're going."

Right…She's going to calmly accept advice like this…From a complete stranger…

Ok… "Allison…That bastard Hendrix raped my daughter…He's a vicious killer, get away from him for good…Far away…Tell no one!"

Better but…Far more likely she's going to assume I'm the rapist…Sigh…

What am I gonna do? She's leaving with her mom…With…He peered…Yep…

Me in hot pursuit…Primed by Dr. Leekie the other day as to how to handle…

Hmmn…

Allison's mom…Yeah, that was it…The key. Even beyond Leekie's offer of a secure future…

She was ready to do anything to get away from that miserable control…

Hmmn…

Guess it's not all genetic…

Ok… " 'I had to speak to you, about your daughter, ma'am, my son…' Hmmn…Nephew, better… 'Told me that Hendrix boy talks about her all the time…He's strange, ma'am. He's talking about hurting her and you…You and your girl have to get away from him.'"

That should appeal to her natural paranoia as well as Ally's…Even if she doesn't fully buy she'll have doubts…And she hates me already…Ok…

"Mrs…!" he tried, hurrying after mother and daughter…Entering a hallway in pursuit in which no one was present but his targets…Up the way, they turned into another classroom, where a number of students were dressing and adjusting their outfits…

"Stop." He felt something poke his ribs…

Gun…Definitely gun.

"Turn." Curt tone.

"Rachel." He eyed the frowning girl, she eyeing him coolly.

"What are you up to here?" she addressed him, gun now lowered and concealed by a scarf.

"What, miss?" he eyed her stern face.

Oddly though…

"Donnie. I asked you a question." she said, calmly. "What are you up to?"

"Ms. Duncan…?" he stared.

She stared back at him…

"Ally…" he gasped.

"Nice to see you too…After all these years." Wan smile.

"But…You're…"

"If you can, I can…And who better than my nearest clone?" smile.

"Ally…What the hell?"

"You first." She eyed him.

"I…How could you know?"

"How could you?" she shrugged… "I know…Now what is this?"

"I'm trying to save you…From me…" he sighed. "I'm going to get your mom to take you away…It's my chance to prevent all this…Ally, what are you doing here? And in…Her?"

"Loaner…Surely I rate a favor, especially if you do…As for my counterpart, she won't remember a thing."

"But…"

"Same reason you're here…Only to stop my idiot husband from ruining my life…" she smiled.

"Ally, I'm savin' you…Do you realize what's going to happen to you, thanks to me?"

"I'll have two adopted children and a husband who adores me…Who'll do his best and be fooled by an evil organization who'll murder me at twenty eight to see the state of my brain when an induced illness starts to affect my mind severely." She eyed him calmly… "That about cover it?"

"Ally…"

"As opposed to, running from said, but thereby only would-be husband and being taken, after several years on the run, by Dyad who'll choose to lock me up until I display symptoms, the field experiment having been compromised by an older version of my said husband doing his quantum leap bit. Donnie, you can't change this, I'd only lose the happiness I had with you before things went as they did."

"But if I leave this…"

"Everything happens as before…And we go home." She smiled. "But with me quite impressed by my husband's willingness to give up everything to save me. Thanks, Donnie…I know you meant well, but not a good idea…I'm not to be saved that way. Please, give it up, honey."

"But…I want to put it right…Ally…I love you…There's gotta be some way…I have to help you."

"You did." She beamed. "Donnie, I was doomed the day I was born…Nothing can change that if I am to be born…You gave a life, a family, everything I could ever hope to have…A bumpy way to do it, maybe, but you saved me…Already. Now don't go and screw it all and lets go home. God knows, I've been waiting for you long enough."

"But…I've been fooled before…"

"And how…" she smiled. "But this time you know it's me and you have me to help you out of it. Come on, sweet Donnie…You know this is the right thing to do. And we don't much time…Leekie's convinced Helena's crew is behind my taking off like I did when I climbed aboard and took the wheel from Rachel…He's calling in support…A lot of support. It's time to go home, honey." She leaned to him and kissed him. "Come, love…" she pulled at his hand gently… "Come…"

"Rachel?" Leekie hurried to the stunned-looking Rachel… "Are you all right? Did he hurt you?"

"Father?" she stared… "What's happened?"

"Tomas, I think…" he eyed her. "That cabbie was a fake, must have been one of his agents…Did he leave you here?"

"I…Father…I don't remember…I was in the cab, we got out…Then…"

"He may have drugged you…We'd better get you home…Check you out." Leekie noted anxiously.

A man and woman looking like middle-class parents, reasonably but not excessively well-dressed, came to him.

"Did you find any sign of the man I described?" Leekie eyed them.

"No, sir." The woman shook her head. "But we have another team in now looking for him…" she hurriedly pulled out a vibrating cell phone. "Yes?" she addressed it, even as there were signs of a tumult down the hall…

"There's a man here! He needs a doctor!" a cry…

"I see…Stay with him till we arrive." The woman told the phone, closing.

Leekie eyeing her.

"The man is dead…In the main auditorium." She noted. "Looks like a heart attack, possibly suicide by poison when he realized we were about to take him."

"Admirable…" Rachel, calmly. "And our subject here?"

"She's fine…Our monitor is with her…All seems well there." The woman noted.

"I'm sorry about my mother, Donnie…" young Allison sighed to young Donnie who'd taken advantage of the slight confusion to move in and lead her to a quiet place to talk.

"I don't care…She's right to doubt me, I suppose…But Ally I'll do right by you…I'll make good no matter what I have to do." He insisted. "Please…Ginny isn't the girl I want…I want you, Ally…Don't turn me away without giving me a chance. I can make you happy. I'll do anything you want…I'll do anything to make you happy. I mean that…More than you know."


End file.
